Jazz and Bebop

Jazz music, as we know it today, shares its roots in several musical traditions, including African, European, and American. This unique mesh of cultural influences has made it a truly American style of music. Jazz music’s influence has flowed through innumerable aspects of modern culture; it is the cornerstone for twentieth century music.

The first and arguably most prominent component of jazz music was the African musical heritage kept alive by slaves in the South. This music was likely used as comforting way to cope with harsh labor and removal from their homes. From this music came a few central elements that help to define jazz. The first of these was a strong sense of rhythm, especially syncopated rhythms that contrasted the strict time meters popular in European music at the time. In addition, musicians used vocals as a major conveyance of emotion. Finally, slave music relied heavily on the use of a five-note scale, as opposed to traditional major or minor scales.

After emancipation in 1865, a number of black pianists became prominent entertainers in saloons and dance halls. Through the contributions of these pianists, most notably Scott Joplin, came a new style of music with a mixed meter. The genre’s original name, “ragged time”, described the unique superposition of a jolly, syncopated melody over a regular pulsing bass line. Eventually, this title was shortened to simply “ragtime” and the name stuck. During the latter half of the nineteenth century, musicians began to notate their most popular pieces, and these publications would soon become the basis for improvisation, a crucial feature of jazz music.

Whereas ragtime was the music of better-off, and more educated African Americans, the blues is filled with hardship and despair. This style, which likely grew out of the Mississippi Delta region, is based on the call and response pattern used extensively in the slaves’ work songs. Due to their customary five-note scale, many slaves had difficulty singing the third and seventh intervals of the hymns they learned in America. This situation fostered the “blue note” which gave rise to the blues scale, a harmonic series which became widely used in jazz and other twentieth-century American music styles.

The final essential precursor to jazz music was the marching band, which rose to popularity in black communities after the end of the Civil War. Marching bands were clothed in uniform and were frequently associated with funeral processions. In the South, the largest center of marching band activity was the city of New Orleans. As a commercial and military port, instruments were widely available and inexpensive, giving rise to a number or performance groups. In time, New Orleans became the music capital of America, and before long, the marching band tradition began to mesh with ragtime and blues styles, which were also popular in the region. Once instrumental ensembles began mimicking these styles, the jazz band was born.

In 1945, Parker Gillespie, drummer Kenny Clark, and pianist Thelonious Monk, “individually and collectively created bebop” (Stump 5). Along with many other young jazz musicians, Gillespie, Clark, and Monk transformed traditional Jazz into what became to be known as Bebop through new styles of artistic expression and innovation. This new form of music was also a negative reaction toward the white American traditional radio Jazz that suffocated the young African-American musical community from branching out and experimenting with new tunes.

Location played a distinct role in the importance and creation of Bebop. Jazz clubs in Harlem and along 52nd Street of New York City were the first places in which Bebop was exposed to the public as the modern style of Jazz music. Many believe that Bebop emerged as cultural expression among African-Americans because of the dissension of race-issues after World War I.

Bebop evolved almost like a secret society in private homes and after hour clubs. The new form of music was not at first regularly accepted everywhere and in result forced the musicians to practice and develop their music in secrecy or only among those who were in favor of it. “Racial conflicts during the 1930’s had led several prominent Harlem clubs to relocate to other parts of Manhattan” (Stump 7). The creators of Bebop played in a variety of these clubs but two in particular, Minton’s Playhouse and Clarke Monroe’s Uptown House, which were minted as the specific locales in which Bebop was associated.

It was not until the late 1940’s that Bebop was regularly accepted; and it was referred to as modern Jazz before it received its name “apparently derived from nonsense syllables used to imitate the music’s unusual rhythmic patterns” (Stump 9).

In the 1920s, Jazz music was played in American dance halls, roadhouses, and speakeasies- nightclubs that sold alcohol illegally. This type of music was upbeat just like the mentality of the era. Post- World War I, people began to once again believe in the American Dream and focused on innovation and creativity. Although conservative mentalities were becoming more liberal during the 1920s, this time of innovation and creative thinking was the beginning of unbelievable progress in America. Since the 1920s, America has created the first automobile, flown the first airplane, landed the first man on the moon, and become the technological empire of the entire world.

The “Jazz Age” may be characterized by jazz and bebop music, but this era was more than just an era of innovative music but innovative literature. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” was published in 1925 and embodied the mentality of the 1920s. The positive mentality of this age helped post-war America regain some of its stability due to the progress and optimism of the American people. Literature, during this decade, as well as culture, can be characterized as a breath of fresh air. These fresh ideas helped America jumpstart as of social, economic, and political powerhouse.

Most of modern music finds its roots in jazz. R&B, hip-hop, rock, and pop all focus on the music itself and let the lyrics tell the story that the instrumental, or modern-flushes of noise, suggest. Just like modern music, jazz’s upbeat sound makes it easy to dance to and enjoyable for most audiences to listen. Modern genres of music try to embody this appeal which is just one of the many ways that jazz is modeled in modern music. Although, the “Jazz Age” has come and gone, its legacy will not be forgotten because of the permanent stamp it placed on the music world.

The “Roarin’ Twenties” were about more than just music, but a redefining of American culture. The real-life femme fatal, a characteristic of film noir and hard-boiled fiction, could be seen during this era. Women started leaving the home to go out to nightclubs and dance halls while wearing more provocative clothing. Flapper dresses had much shorter hemlines than were previously accepted and bathing suits become more of fashion statements than social fractions. This newfound “sex appeal” was just the beginning of American sexuality. Teenagers wanted to get in on the sexual revolution and began to by sexual experimentation, which had never been seen before. This is just one example of how the 1920s were just the beginning of modern-America-one that is more socially liberal and accepting.

The “Jazz Age” embodied the beginning of modern America (Gaddis). This modern way of life is characterized by the less conservative music, fashion, and behaviors of this era. Jazz music was once referred to as “Devil’s Music,” some may argue for racist reasons, but agreeably because of its affiliation with sex and partying. Jazz music has impacted not just music, but culture in general. This decade , 1920s America, was full of new ideas that laid the groundwork for innovations of the decade and for decades to come.

3. The unique mixed rhythm of jazz comes from its mixed African and European origins.

4. Bebop was a new form of music that was also a negative reaction toward the white American traditional radio Jazz that suffocated the young African-American musical community from branching out and experimenting with new tunes.

6. It was not until the late 1940’s that Bebop was regularly accepted; and it was referred to as modern Jazz before it received its name “apparently derived from nonsense syllables used to imitate the music’s unusual rhythmic patterns” (Stump 9).

7. The "Jazz Age" was about more than just music. People were beginning to believe in the American Dream ("The Great Gatsby") again and this optimistic attitude contradicted world affairs post World War I.

8. The real-life femme fatale was seen in dance halls, roadhouses, and speakeasies. This "new woman" wore shorter, more provocative clothing and began to use her sexuality to attract men.

9. Jazz music is the foundation for all modern form of music. Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, and Rock all have their roots in jazz music. Jazz music can be characterized as "All-American" music which correlates to the "All-American" mentality of the roarin' twenties.

10. The response to the social aspect of the 1920s was a strong sense of nationalism. People were having stronger feelings towards America and the progress that we had the potential of accomplishing. This positive attitude in America caused major social, business-orientated, and technological advancements.

1. Do you believe the “Jazz Age” can be seen in modern culture and if so in what ways? These ways can include literature, music, fashion, pop culture, human behavior, American ideologies, etc..

2. Some argue that the Jazz/Bebop era was the start of modern America. In what cultural ways have we changed since these years and do you believe these changes are for better or worse?

3. Fashion has changed a lot since the 1920s. More provocative clothing found its roots in these days and older generations despised the change. Obviously, fashion has changed a lot since then. Do you believe that provocative clothing is a problem at Georgia Tech?

http://www.pbs.org/jazz/This PBS Jazz website contains all sorts of useful research materials, ranging from historical information to music samples from famous composers.

http://www.harlem.org/This site features biographies of dozens of jazz musicians from the twentieth century. You can search by name, instrument, and style of playing.http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/The Smithsonian Jazz website is perfect for the jazz enthusiast, and features detailed biographies, research collections, and event jazz event schedules.

Kevin Murtha-------------------------As a long-time enthusiast for jazz music, I was naturally excited to have the opportunity to study it for a class project. I listen to jazz more than any other genre of music and have performed in jazz ensembles for a several years. I am even listing to jazz right now as I write this!

For this project, it was my primary responsibility to study the history of jazz and its cultural origins. Although I was aware for some time that jazz music grew out of the United States in the early twentieth century, it was not until conducting my research that I truly appreciated it as a classically American form of art. Like so many other elements of American culture, the creation of jazz owes itself largely to the meshing of cultures from countries all over the world. After its conception, communication breakthroughs in the twentieth century allowed it to spread all throughout the world, and its style is constantly changing and redefining itself, even to this day.

What is perhaps even more amazing about the jazz movement is the way in which it revolutionized music all throughout the western world. Stylistic elements that make up genres such as rock and roll and rhythm and blues can be almost completely attributed to the inventions of jazz. These styles, in turn, gave rise to a number of different types of rock music, pop music, and hip-hop, all of which are very popular in today’s culture. In short, the claim that jazz music has influenced today’s music is practically an understatement. Jazz has come to take an integral role in the formation of twentieth-century music and its influence continues today.

This research project was very valuable to me, because it helped me to see the extent of jazz music’s influence on so many aspects of our culture. Up to this point, I was well-acquainted with jazz music and the techniques that define it, but a better understanding of its cultural implications has left me with a whole new outlook on its importance as an American art form. If any of this presentation has interested you, you should try exploring some jazz music to see what you like. A great way to discover new music is by checking out the radio offerings in your area for a jazz station or two. Pay attention to the artists of the songs you particularly like, and start building your collection with albums from those artists. After all, it makes great study music!

Sam Svedlund-------------------------Bebop has always been something that has interested me because of my involvement and training in hip hop and modern dance styles. Hip Hop is a musical evolution of Bebop and still continues to carry the spirit of revolutionizing music. Bebop emerged in the 1940’s as a new expression and innovation from current and classical Jazz styles. Artists who formed the new sound were typically those who found Jazz to be too repetitive and even boring; they wanted to create and imagine an entirely new sound that would interest everyone and not just one audience.

The music itself that is referred to as Bebop is sampling fascinating because of its speed and volume of sound, unlike any other form of music. It is interesting to know that the new style was created “underground” so to speak in nested locales within the heart of Harlem and 52nd street. This was because the artists were typically not allowed to play at primarily White clubs or restaurants because of their color; typically the artists were African American. Arguably, location had a lot to do with the music’s historical background since it was kept a secret from the public for a good amount of time.

Charlie Parker, Kenny Clarke, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk are accepted as the original “founders” of Bebop so to speak. These men were the true engineers behind the start and progression of the Bebop era. They worked separately at first, but ended up becoming a musical group sometime during the late 1940’s; each one starting off as a young Jazz musician who ended up inventing a new musical form.

I truly enjoyed creating this blog because the topic interests me so much. I took the time to research about the influence Bebop had and still currently has on Hip Hop music. The research I ended up finding revealed that many of today’s Hip Hop legends actually spoke with many Bebop musicians to find inspiration for their music.

Kristy Miller-------------------------Although jazz and bebop music originated in 1920s America, aspects of this music and way of life can be seen in modern culture. Many believe that the 1920s were “the start of Modern America “ (Gaddis). This modern way of life is characterized by the less conservative music, fashion, and behaviors of this era. More and more people were finding themselves partying in dance halls, roadhouses, and speakeasies, nightclubs that sold alcohol illegally. Jazz music was referred to as “Devil’s Music” (Gaddis) because of its association with sex and partying. The “Jazz Age” embodied this type of culture, and the more promiscuous lifestyle. This type of lifestyle seems very liberal, but in compassion to modern America, it looks like a cardigan sweater- very conservative.

Although the “Jazz Age” centered on music, all types of culture changed during this era. F. Scoot Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” was published in 1925 and helped to emphasize and redefine the American Dream. The positive mentality of this age helped post-war America regain some of its stability due to the progress and optimism of the American people. The twenties in America can be described as a giant breath of fresh air.

Also, the twenties were the of the start sexual revolution. Women became real life femme fatales during this decade by leaving the home and wearing more provocative clothing. Flapper dresses had much shorter hemlines than were previously accepted and bathing suits become more of fashion statements than social fractions. Also, teenagers were beginning to sexually experiment, which showed that culture was moving farther away from social conservatism and toward a more liberal mentality. The roarin’ twenties were a decade full of new ideas- new music, new literature, new fashions, and new mentalities.

The “Jazz Age” was the start of modern America. Jazz and Bebop music’s upbeat nature captivated audiences and caused people to become excited about life when worldwide trauma post World War I suggested differently. People began to believe in the American Dream once again and the innovation of the 1920s was contagious. Although conservative mentalities were becoming more liberal, this time of innovation and creative thinking was the beginning of unbelievable progress in America. Since the 1920s, America has created the first automobile, flown the first airplane, landed the first man on the moon, and become the technological empire of the entire world. The “Jazz Age” may be characterized by Jazz and Bebop music, but this era was more than that. It was just the beginning of breakthroughs that America would experience in the coming decades.